Maxine C Fawcett

Maxine Cramer Fawcett passed away peacefully at home on August 10, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Maxine was born on February 14, 1932, in Washington state, to Virgil Cramer and Lillian Drown. She grew up in Salt Lake City and took pride in her Utah pioneer roots and Danish and Norwegian heritage. She cared deeply about her family's history and loved flowers, a passion likely passed down from her great-grandfather, Christopher Cramer, who owned a flower shop.

Maxine met her husband, Verlin Fawcett, when she was a student at West High School. They married on July 24, 1949, and raised four children: Michele, Shannon, Deidra, and Lamont.

Although she lived in several states, including Wyoming, California, and Nevada, Salt Lake City was always home. She loved Utah’s green mountains and the familiar places that shaped her life.

Maxine was smart, independent, sophisticated, and witty. She had excellent manners and a strong sense of right and wrong. Her quick wit and honesty meant you always knew where you stood with her, even if her directness sometimes caught you off guard.

She always made it a point to look her best. Her eyebrows, lipstick, and hair were always done. Maxine was known to delay a hospital trip until she felt presentable. After all, if you had to go to the hospital, you might as well look good when you arrived.

With determination and hard work, she put herself through nursing school while raising four young children. She went on to provide excellent care as a nurse at Utah State Hospital, Fay Case Care Center, and Hillcrest Care Center.

Maxine enjoyed reading, oil painting, gambling, and cooking. Her biscuits and gravy were legendary. In her later years, she swapped books for true crime shows and gambling videos on YouTube. She could watch people play slot machines for hours and was always ready with an opinion on which machines were worth playing.

Maxine valued her independence, which made the last year of her life difficult. She didn’t like relying on others, but her family was honored to care for her. Even then, she stayed sharp, balancing her checkbook, following politics, and keeping up with world news.

Most of all, Maxine was proud of her family. She loved watching them grow and hearing about their lives, achievements, and adventures.

She is survived by her daughters, Shannon (Raymond) Staley and Deidra (Patrick) Trujillo; her son, Lamont Fawcett; her grandchildren, Troy Barnard, Amber (Jeff) Pehrson, Angelia (Jayson) McCleve, Cory (Stephenie) Staley, Crystal Patrick, Kyle (Shawna) Staley, Jade (Mike Regier) Trujillo, and Jessica Fawcett; 22 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings Beverly, Lucille, Geraldine, and LaDrue; her husband, Verlin; and her daughter, Michele.

As Maxine wished, there will be no formal funeral. Instead, her family will gather for a small private service to honor and celebrate her life.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Utah Democratic Party in honor of Maxine and the political values she held throughout her life.

We love you, Mom, Grandma, and Great-Grandma. Your love and legacy will live on in all of us.